Embrace of the Sands
by Hotaru Shidosha
Summary: Thanks to her brother's sticky fingers, Levy finds herself on an archaeological dig with a charming gunslinger. Rated T for Gajeel's mouth xD
1. An interesting start

**Greetings, lovelies, and welcome to my first Gajevy / GaLa crossover. I was watching The Mummy and between Evelyn being an adorable librarian and Rick O'Connell being a dashing gunslinger I couldn't help imagining Gajeel and Levy in this.**

 **It took me quite a while to think of who to put in Beni's spot. There aren't a lot of human-looking characters that fit his personality. I finally settled on Zoldeo due to his minimal interaction (at least without you knowing it was him and not Capricorn). That being said there are a few characters I didn't replace. I just didn't feel there was anyone that fit the mark but its a only a small handful so I hope it doesn't effect it too much. Hell, I'm still writing it, things may change xD**

 **Did my own editing so if I missed something, sorry~!**

* * *

With expert ease, the silver revolver in his hand was quickly reloaded and twirled, the barrel aiming at the stampede of men rushing down the sand dunes towards their location. Gajeel Redfox spied down his sight, firing off a few rounds in quick succession, watching at least two men fall from horseback. All around him, his allies reloaded their own rifles, coughing at the swirling sands and shielding their eyes from the sun as they, too, aimed at the enemy before them. Their general had just turned tail and ran, screaming at the top of his lungs before all eyes turned towards the red eyed male, waiting for the shouted command he gave to keep attacking. Beside him, a particularly shaky man fumbled around with his weaponry, his beady eyes showing worry and his upper lip sweating with fear. Zoldeo was trembling terribly to the point where he nearly dropped the firearm, making Gajeel snap at him to calm down. At his shout, Zoldeo threw down the rifle before screaming towards an open tomb entrance. With a sharp curse, Gajeel twisted on his heel, noticing many of the others had either already fled or were being cut by the enemy horsemen, blood spattering against the sand. Figuring it best to follow his coward of a partner, the raven haired male was met with a stone slab sliding into place, his hands bracing himself as he nearly collided into it. He quickly turned, running only a few steps out before leaning back and to his right, his gun in his hand as he dodged a throwing knife and fired, the horseman tumbling from his saddle with a cry. Dashing left, Gajeel ducked as more blades flew too close for comfort around his head. His path was blocked by handful of horsemen, nearly falling at trying to stop dead in the sand, changing his escape direction. A growl vibrated in his throat as he came face to face with black stone, a large statue in his way of freedom. Twirling around, he pressed his back against it firing off what was left of his bullets in his dual pistols, the sharp clicking signaling he was out. His chest heaved as he took a long breath, his red eyes landing on the line of men remaining as they aimed their guns. Turning his head away, he squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the pain when a handful of shouting accompanied by upset neighing from the horses had him peeking to find them gone. He let out the air he was holding, collapsing to his knees into the sand.

' _They… they had me… why?'_ he thought, running a hand through his wild, black mane. As if sensing something, he climbed to his feet, walking forward and looking back. The statue of Anubis stared down its nose at him, the obsidian showing wear and caked on with mud. He stumbled back, nearly tripping against the sand as he looked around for anyone left. Sweat dripped down his face, his heart racing as he realized he was all alone. Nearly forty men and he was all that seemed to be left. At least, other than Zoldeo but that man had chickened out and left him for dead. Without much else, he stumbled away into the open desert, unaware of the intense eyes on him from afar.

* * *

(One month later)

Levy McGarden hummed to herself as she continued tidying the books that were stacked by her feet, her mind completely focused on her task. She was halfway through an entire collection of Egyptian tomes and scrolls, her purpose of being there to reorganize the whole room. She pulled up a particularly heavy book, her humming ceasing as she used all her focus on making sure she didn't drop it. She let out a grumble as some of her hair fell loose from her black headband, tickling her face and nose. Setting the book back down on the table, she fixed her blue curls, fluffing her strands a bit before looking at her work again. A loud noise in the distance had her jumping up, a small squeak escaping her as she glanced around. Tilting her head in confusion, she began walking in the direction of the thud. She knew it couldn't have been the curator she was working for; he was gone for the day on business, leaving her alone in charge of the library. No one else had access to the building so long as he was not present. She swallowed thickly, hoping she was imagining things. Another noise had her frowning, glancing around and finding an unlit torch near the doorway. Pulling it from its holder, she braced herself as she entered the next room where they displayed open scrolls and mummy remains. Her footsteps were nearly impossible to hear as she slowly walked through the room, bracing for striking whoever might have been there. As soon as she moved to walk by an open coffin, the skeleton within popped up, a horrible roar causing her to jump up screaming. Before she could attempt to bludgeon the poor mummy, a male's maniacal laugh filled the air, the familiarity of it causing her brows to crease in anger.

"Loke, you jerk!" she screeched, half tempted to rip his hair out as he leaned up beside the mummy, his arm over its shoulders like they were friends. He gave her a wicked grin, his hazel eyes staring at her from over his glasses before laying the skeletal remains back down.

"Sorry, you make it so easy!" he replied with a laugh, climbing out of the box. Once he touched the ground, she slugged him in the arm, nearly toppling him over from being caught off guard. "Whoa now, easy." She glared daggers at him, poking at his chest and causing him to flinch back, his face still showing great amusement.

"I'm going to have gray hairs early because of you!" He winced at her yelling, stuffing his hand in his pocket. She placed one hand on her hip, the other still holding the torch as she watched him begin to roll on his heels.

"Maybe, but until then, don't you want to know why I'm here?" She turned on her heel, moving to the next room and replacing the torch. The orange haired man followed behind her, recognizing when his sister would try to run away from him. He'd often come to her with little knicknacks, hoping there would be the one time he found something that would lead him to a treasure trove. It was getting to the point where she would barely even look at what he would bring, feeling he was merely grasping at straws. Loke always had many high hopes in becoming rich and flaunting his coin for women and booze, to live carefree. He adjusted his tie as he walked into the library, watching her grab a handful of books and glancing at the wording on the covers.

"Not really," she mumbled. Most times he showed, it was up ask for something; be it money or a way out of trouble. The former was often needed to help the latter. A smirk found its way on his lips as he dashed after her, knowing what he had would intrigue her.

"Not even gonna give me a chance?"

"Who do you owe money to now?" She didn't even look up at him, imagining him cringing at her guessing right.

"No one… at the moment," he said with a snicker. He pulled his hand from his pants pocket, displaying a small iron box in his palm. Instantly, Levy's eyes were glued, her mind racing with questions as she looked over the hieroglyphics along its surface. "Before you start: I don't know what it is or where it's from." This had her raising a thin eyebrow at him. She crossed her arms over her chest lightly, leaning to her right a bit.

"Then where did you get it?" She watched as he grimaced, his face showing the usual nervous look he had when he'd been caught, the smile trying to stay in place. "Loke..."

"Well…"

* * *

Levy gripped the hem of her dark brown skirt, walking at a brisk pace with Loke on her heels. He was sputtering about this not being a good idea, trying desperately to pull her back as they headed into the prison courtyard with the guards leading them towards the visitor area. She ignored his protests, muttering under her breath how disappointed she was in him. He begged her not to do this until loud shouting drew her attention completely as two other guards burst through the holding cell doors, throwing a dark haired man towards the bars, his hands linked together with maybe half a foot of chain holding them together. Levy felt her heart skip a beat at seeing the rough male before her, on his knees as the guards hit him for clearly fighting against them. His black hair was wild, clearly not having been washed or brushed in quite some time. He had a bit of a gruff beard showing, his skin caked on with mud and sand making it a tad hard to see the metal studs in his eyebrows, nose, and chin. His white button down was filthy and tattered, missing buttons, and slightly pulled from his dark brown pants. He looked over his shoulder, growling menacingly at the men behind him before finally focusing on the blue haired female and her brother who continued to cringe.

"This is the man you took this from!?" Behind her, Loke refused to make eye contact with him, leaning forward and mumbling something about them leaving. She punched his arm, watching him flinch and rub the spot. In front of them, the man snickered at seeing her being so feisty. She turned back, an apologetic look crossing her features as she moved her hair from her face. "Hello, it's to my understanding that my idiot of a brother has taken something from you." He seemed taken aback at her sweet smile towards him, his red eyes scanning her face. "I was actually hoping you could tell me what it was." He remained quiet, studying her until she began fidgeting under his intense gaze. He gripped the bars, looking around a bit before answering her.

"You might not know what it _is_ but you seem to know where it's from," he replied, earning a wide eyed look from the girl. Being too focused, she leaned forward.

"So you know it's from Hamunaptra? The City of the Dead?" He raised a studded brow, rather impressed she knew that. He gripped the bars a bit again, leaning back while chuckling dryly.

"Of course I do. It's where I got it," he whispered back. His low voice had her leaning in more, ignoring the ranting from her brother behind her. "You're pretty smart." He watched her face flush, her eyes darting away for a moment in embarrassment at his flattery.

"Well, thank you," she murmured. Suddenly, her focus was back, "Do you think you could tell me how to get there?" Now his eyes were going wide, not sure he was hearing her right. She wanted to go to the City of the Dead? Unfortunately for him, he knew the guards here had plans for him. His cocky attitude got him in trouble to the point where they told him he was going to die in the prison with no one there to stop them. He found himself staring at her, watching her face light up at waiting for what he was going to say next. For a split second, he found himself looking at her lips.

 _'Hmm…'_ He motioned for her to come closer, her honey eyes practically glowing as she thought he was going to give her the information she wanted. "So a pretty thing like you wants to go there," he whispered ever so softly. As she moved merely inches away from the bars, his arm shot out, roughly grabbing under her chin and smashing his lips against hers. A surprised squeak escaped her, her body tensing at the assault. Pulling back fast, the male glared at her, his red eyes piercing into her very soul. It was then she realized his pupils were slitted like a cat. "Get me out of here and I'll take you!" he snapped, a grunt escaping him as the guards hit him before grasping his arms and hauling him away. Levy rested a hand on her chest, her heart thumping loudly against her ribs as she slowly came out of her daze.

 _'Did that really just happen!?_ ' She blinked a bit, shaking her head as though clearing it, _'Wait, what is…'_ She pointed towards the direction they took the black haired male, hearing shouting from behind the closed doors. "Wait, what is going on? Where are they taking him?" The warden gave her a smug look, his tone hinting that he was entertained by everything.

"They are going to execute him." She turned to glare at him, her honey eyes fiery. She crossed her arms.

"On what charge!?"

"He is a brute. Best to put such a beast down now," he muttered, clearly not bothered by any of it. Loke flinched as he watched Levy stalk up to the man, her 4'11" frame not helping her with the intimidation.

"So what you're saying is he did nothing!? I demand to see him!" The warden motioned for her to follow, leading her to the area where they were setting up for him to be hanged. He struggled against the guards holding him even as they dragged him up the wooden stairs and looped the thick rope around his neck. The moment they let go of him, he slammed his boot on one of the men's feet, turning to headbutt the second one. The third who had placed the rope on him, yanked the cord, pulling him back as well as tightening it around his neck. Levy turned towards the warden, her brows creased and her gaze full of worry. "Please, don't do this." Her eyes darted around as though in thought, her vision finally landing back on him. "I'll give you 100 jewels to let him go! Surely that should cover his bail!" The man seemed uninterested, motioning towards the guards as they steadied the male and dragged him to appropriate place above the trap door. "I'll give you 200 then!" She receive barely a look, her head turning to find them fully securing the rope and muttering something to him. "300!" The warden shouted for them to wait, looking down at the girl and grasping her chin roughly, forcing her to look up at him.

"Anything else?" Loke moved to grab the guy's wrist when Levy swatted him away, a menacing look reflected in her hazel eyes.

"Just what are you implying?" she hissed, yanking herself free from his grasp. A chorus of laughter from the other inmates that were watching caused the warden to flush, embarrassed at scene she had made. "Of all the…" she stopped as the warden gave a kill motion, the guard throwing the lever and releasing the hatch. Just before the rope went taut, a shot rang out, the cord snapping and Levy's wide gaze finding Loke's gun smoking while he was adjusting his glasses on his face. She let out the breath she didn't notice that she had held, her body slacking as tension left her.

"I think what my sister offered is more than enough," he hissed. Giving him a thankful smile, Levy raced over to the fallen male, pulling at the rope around his neck in case he was still being choked by it. He watched her, stunned by all the trouble the two went through to stop all this. His mind went to why she was here in the first place, feeling she only wanted to get to Hamunaptra. His attention was brought back as he felt her soft hands on his throat as if to check him before grasping at his hands, fumbling with the manacles still there.

"The key. Release him," she all but demanded, climbing to her feet and crossing her arms at the warden. The man let out a harsh scoff, motioning for the guards to bring him along. "No-" The raven haired male grunted as he was grabbed, the men hoisting him to his feet. Levy spun towards the warden, her face twisted in concern.

"Bring me my pay," he snapped before she could protest. She visibly relaxed, hurrying to follow him with Loke right behind her.

An hour later, the trio were exiting the prison with Levy hovering around the tall, red eyed male. She watched him intently, observing him checking his knapsack and stretching as he inhaled deeply. Feeling her gaze, he turned towards her, digging his hand in his pocket while adjusting his bag on his shoulder.

"So… yeah…" he mumbled, looking away. She watched him for a moment, studying his posture and how he was looking off in the distance. He almost seemed agitated at the whole ordeal, as though their helping him bruised his ego.

"Are you seriously not about to thank me?" She placed her hands on her hips, frowning. Loke remained silent, knowing the entire thing started because of him nabbing the iron box from this guy in the first place. Even now, he refused to make eye contact. He merely found himself very interested in fixing his tie or cleaning his glasses. This man had been subjected to imprisonment, torture, and nearly death at his poor choice of pick pocketing, making him feel absolutely terrible. Such things had never happened to him before, and never had he had to bring his sister into it. Gajeel turned towards them, the focus coming back to his gaze as he looked down at the small woman before him. Internally, he was rather amused with the tough front she was attempting at the moment. His face showed his real feelings, knowing that no one in their right mind would have helped him for nothing.

"I know why you did it. You just want to go to the city. I'm of no other use to-"

"How can you say that… They were going to hang you for nothing. I couldn't let them do that," she whispered, missing his surprised look. The pain in her voice had him wincing, his studded brows coming down as he frowned. He watched her as she clenched at her skirt, her eyes glued to the ground. The adrenaline of the previous events clearly had left her system, leaving her drained. He let out a deep sigh, realizing just how much of an ass he was being and it left a terrible taste in his mouth.

"Thank you." Her head darted up, finding him looking away from her. "Name's Gajeel Redfox." A smile broke out across her face, her hand coming up to offer as handshake.

"Levy McGarden. And this is Loke." At her introduction, Gajeel stormed up to orange haired man, grabbing a handful of his jacket. People nearby began whispering as they purposely moved to steer clear of the trio. Beside them, Levy began waving her arms frantically, squeaking for him to stop. "What are you-?" He dragged the shorter male into his face, his fangs bared as he seethed in anger.

"This is all your fault! Where is it?" he hissed, watching Loke fumble the box out of his pocket with a nervous laugh. He snatched it out of his hand, dropping him and watching as he attempted to not fall over from the force of it. "I'll give you a break since you helped me."

"H-how thoughtful of you," Loke replied with a nervous chuckle, pushing his glasses back into place from being shaken. Gajeel pulled his bag around, stuffing the item in it before slinging it over his shoulder again. He growled in frustration at his attire, yanking his shirt open and letting the rest of the buttons fly off. Levy couldn't help herself as her eyes wandered over his chiseled chest, her gaze trailing down to the start of the V going down and ending at his dark brown pants. She tore her gaze away, hoping he didn't notice her staring. At the sound of his voice, she jolted, feeling her face burn up.

"So, what can I do to repay you," Gajeel asked, clearly not embarrassed about showing his chest or realizing what she was doing.

 _'Oh my God, he's gonna say something like that after doing that?'_ She took a deep breath, hoping he thought her face was red due to the sun as she looked back. "Well, Mr. Redfox, I would truly like to speak to you about… well…," she glanced around to make sure no one was too close but was stopped as Gajeel began waving his hand dismissively.

"Yeah, yeah. And just Gajeel."

"Well, then, Gajeel," Loke started, grabbing his sister's arm. He was greeted by the red eyed male's glare, his finger in his face. If looks could kill...

"Mr. Redfox from you."

"R-right. Ahem, Mr. Redfox…," he laughed nervously as he pulled out a slip of paper, jotting down something before handing it to him. "We'll be here and meet you at the boat in the morning. I trust you will be ok until then?" He nodded, glancing at the paper before stuffing it into his pocket. Loke ushered Levy away as quickly as possible, scolding her for involving them with someone so dangerous. A small smile graced her lips at his obvious fear, feeling as if this could play as revenge for his scaring the ever-living out of her.

"You think he's dangerous because he doesn't like you," she replied bitterly, attempting to look over her shoulder. Her brother's face filled her view, his hazel eyes hidden behind the reflective surface of his glasses, an eyebrow raised in amusement.

"I saw that look, Missy. You can't fool me." Her cheeks puffed up in embarrassment, hoping to play dumb.

"What are you talking about?"

"Let me help you mop up the drool," he deadpanned, watching her face light up bright red. She shoved him away, a scowl on her features as she pointed at him accusingly.

"You're one to talk, you lech." Loke let out a soft chuckle, fixing his tie. Now that they were away from Gajeel, he was feeling much better about his life not being threatened. He gave her a nonchalant shrug, his body once again relaxed.

"It's expected of me," he stated simply. She rolled her eyes as they arrived at their home with the orange haired man opening it for her. "I just can't picture my innocent little sister being pawed at by a man. Kinda makes me cringe." She let out a laugh, shaking her head.

"Well unfortunately, I'm used to seeing women attack you. Whether it's sexually or harmfully," she replied with a small laugh. Her brother had a reputation for womanizing, something Levy had grown immune to seeing and becoming a part of. By part of, usually it meant she would either comfort the poor woman or have to explain why her brother would suddenly be gone without a trace. The last one, Karen, was why he'd been gone for so long. For a moment, she wondered if he was still seeing her or not. Giving a shrug, Levy moved to her room, beginning to gather items for the long trip ahead of her.

* * *

 **Gonna have a lot of fun with this. Going to go along the basic outline but definitely going to be adding my own twist to things.**

 **Looking forward to hearing what you think ^ ^**

 **Lots of FAN ART waiting on Deviant ART and P atreon~!**


	2. The journey begins

**Hello lovelies~! Great to be hearing from you, it seriously makes me so happy and brings life to me. Well, here we have the next chapter of Embrace.**

 **Be sure to check out the FAN ART posted on DeviantART and P atreon**

 **Self editing so sorry if I missed something:)**

* * *

The port bustled with life as early risers scurried about, some hauling cargo to the nearby ships or others trying to get the nearby vendors for their fresh produce. Levy adjusted her bangs, a few strands falling free from her bun as she tried her best to keep up with her brother. Every now and again he would glance at her to make sure she was still close, occasionally yanking her arm to move her from getting ran over by men carrying boxes and were therefore unable to see her over their cargo. As the approached the ship they would be taking, Loke stopped short with Levy colliding into his back with a squeak. She grumbled a bit, adjusting her light yellow dress, dusting herself off. She looked up to find Loke glancing around as he adjusted the white jacket of his suit, his expression nervous.

"Ah well, I guess that guy isn't going to be showing. Boat is going to be leaving soon, after all." She let out a soft laugh, placing her suitcase down beside her. Her gaze scanned the area as best she could but being so short, she couldn't see very much by all the taller men and women that surrounded them. She took a deep breath, enjoying the smell of the water.

"You're just afraid he's going to kill you at some point during this trip," Levy replied with a sly grin, enjoying her brother being such a nervous wreck. He instantly locked eyes with her while fixing his glasses, raising a brow at her,

"And you seem to want him for more than just directions," he countered. She stomped her foot, shaking her hand at him in a scolding manner.

"You… you are such a pig," she spat back, watching him grin devilishly, "You honestly think I want someone who is so rude, unkempt, rowdy, and… and…"

"Gihee, hope it's not someone I know," came a gravelly voice, causing Levy to turn bright red before spinning on her heel to come face to chest with their raven haired companion. He was wearing a navy blue, long sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, showing scars on his right arm and metal studs on both his forearms. His hands were covered with maroon gloves, his wrists covered by metal bracelets that seemed to be attached to the gloves themselves. His dark brown pants were tucked into black combat boots, metallic studs bordering the top of them. Over his shoulders and across his back was a gun holster, two silver pistols tucked away on his hips. His face was clean shaven and his hair was groomed and tied in a low ponytail, a slight wisp of his hair in his eyes as he gazed down at a stunned Levy. The librarian failed to find words as she peered up at the gentleman before her, her mouth slightly agape. Loke leaned in a bit, letting out a rough cough into his fist which had her shaking her head and sputtering a few words out.

"G-good morning, Mr. Redfox," she blurted, turning her head away. He let out a deep chuckle, reaching down to grasp her chin, facing her forward.

"I told you, shrimp: Gajeel is fine. Gihee." The sounds around them seemed to drone out as she stared into his eyes, the feeling of his hands on her making her shiver and completely miss his little nickname for her. "You did save my life after all." Another cough from her brother shook her free from her trance, feeling Gajeel release her. Crimson eyes shifted over to the orange haired man beside her, watching him flinch. "Tch, ya got something to say?"

"Just that the boat is going to be leaving soon if you two are done swooning over each other," Loke replied blankly, turning to board. Gajeel scoffed, looking down to see Levy with her head turned away again, her features scrunched and a bright blush over her cheeks. Snagging her bag from beside her, Gajeel walked ahead, hearing her sputter about his help as she followed after him.

* * *

Most of the trip was uneventful, the sun setting in the distance as Gajeel found Levy on the boat deck with a book in hand, her focus completely on the text. He stole a glance at the title, reading it say 'Seti the First.' A grin plastered itself on his face as he quietly walked up, slamming his ammo bag down on the table beside her, enjoying the shriek she let out. Catching a look at his smug face, she scowled before pulling her book up again, ignoring him. Her hand came up to absentmindedly play with her bangs as she tried losing herself in her reading once more. Unfortunately for her, the real world was becoming more and more distracting as she spied the crimson eyed male opening his satchel and checking his weapon stock. At the click of him pulling back the chamber on a pistol, she set her book down completely, gazing at the assortment of handguns and knives in his arsenal. She peered up at him, noticing his hair was now loose from the tie, spilling over his shoulders and down his back.

"Oh my, is there a reason you have so much of this with you?" She motioned to touch one, poking the smooth metal.

"Well…" he started as he checked the next gun, taking a cloth to wipe it down, "what you don't know is that your brother found me when I was drinking to forget having ever been at Hamunaptra. I didn't exactly have a nice visit the last I was there." She went to say something, her mouth open and hand coming up until he suddenly dropped the gun and turned towards her, leaning his arms on her chair. His closeness silenced her, her eyes wide. "I want to make one thing very clear. I am only doing this to pay you back. Otherwise you would never catch me dead there. I don't know what's out there but it almost got me killed." He leaned back slowly, crossing his arms over his chest, "Which also has me wondering what exactly it is a shrimp like you is looking for there." It took a good minute but Levy finally focused on him again, letting out a breath she had no idea she was holding. She peered up at his expectant gaze as he waited patiently for her response.

"Well, if you must know, there is an artifact I am hoping to find. My brother thinks there might be treasure. Always looking for the easy way out, that one." She stood, collecting her book from the table and placing a bookmark in it. She brought it to her chest as she turned towards him again, finding him staring intently. "What?" He let out a grunt, turning back to his guns. After about two minutes, he glanced up at her, noticing she was fidgeting while looking towards the water.

' _She's adorable,'_ he thought. Instantly, he rubbed his forehead, wondering where that came from. Her small voice brought him back, the tone of it making him worry.

"Why…" He shook his head a bit as if to clear it, giving her a confused look as he checked one of his switchblades. "At the prison… why did you kiss me?" She moved to look at the floor, missing him freeze at her words. For a split second, Gajeel pondered his options before placing his blade down and sauntering over to her. Once he was in range, Levy jumped at his close proximity, backing up until her back touched the wall. He brought his arms up, caging his body around her, a sly grin on his face as he peered down at her.

' _She's so small. It's cute.'_ Having her so close now, he realized she was barely up to his shoulders, currently not wearing any sort of heels. She clutched her book tighter, her wide eyes meeting his. Her heart pounded in her chest, her breathing becoming ragged as adrenaline started making her behave in a twitchy manner. Just before he could say anything, a loud noise from his left had his head snapping in the direction, giving Levy the chance to duck out from under his arm and run away. Looking at her retreating figure, he let out a snicker, turning to where the noise came from again. Walking down the back a bit, he scanned the nearby cargo that was tied down on the deck, his eyes finding nothing of worth. Letting out a sigh, he turned around, a slight movement behind one of the boxes causing him to dive back and grab whoever it was. A whiney shriek was his reward, pulling the person forward and slamming them against the boxes, his gun that was on his side already cocked and against their chest.

"Redfox, you're alive!" He recoiled at hearing his name, a glare crossing his face.

"Zoldeo? The fuck…" his brows creased in confusion, wondering what exactly it was his old partner was doing here. He pressed the cold steel further, earning a pained yelp. "Last I saw you, you were leaving me to get shot! Any reason I shouldn't kill you right now, you sonova bitch?" Zoldeo whimpered at Gajeel's seething anger, afraid he wasn't even going to give him a chance to answer as he brought his hands up to poorly cover his gaunt face.

"I- I didn't mean to, my friend! I'm sorry for what I did. I shouldn't have left you alone," he sputtered. Gajeel gave him a once over, enjoying the amount of fear that was displayed throughout the man's entire shivering form.

"What are you _doing_ here?"

"I- I've been hired as an escort to Hamunaptra!" The crimson eyes male rolled his eyes, waving the handgun around a bit as he spoke.

"So what, you take their money and them leave them to rot in the desert?" An actual sad look came over the smaller man, his head looking away in disappointment.

"No…," Zoldeo frowned, "these guys are smart. They pay only half now, half when I get them back." Studying him a bit longer, Gajeel finally let him go, watching him straighten out his clothing. The sound of the water and crickets were the only source of noise for the moment, both men staring at each other. Zoldeo flinched at every motion the raven haired male before him did, hoping he didn't change his mind about not shooting him. "So who was the girl?" He let out a whimper at seeing Gajeel's head snap towards him, his face stern.

"No one you should concern yourself with. I see you go near her, you're dead." Even though he was still afraid, Zoldeo couldn't help but let out a nervous chuckle. In all the years he'd known him, he'd never seen Gajeel so defensive about a woman.

"Thinking with your other head, Redfox? That's not like you at all." His mouth snapped shut at the death glare he was receiving, his fear of being injured renewed as he began taking a few steps to the side to try and bolt. A sly grin crossed Gajeel's face, making the other man all the more nervous. "What are you-" A fistful of his shirt was grabbed, feeling the larger man lift him with ease and toss him overboard. A faint 'Gihee' escaped him as he casually walked back over to his arsenal, hearing the thin man sputtering and yelling for someone to get him back on the boat. As he began rolling up his weapons, a faint trail of waterlogged footprints caught his eye, his brow creasing in confusion. He stopped a moment, glancing over the edge of the rail to still hear Zoldeo crying. Pushing his guns in his bag, he slung the weight over his shoulder, hurrying over to the main area. Others who were traveling were drinking and playing cards, smoke filling the air from cigars, causing Gajeel to make a face of disgust. He scanned the area, spotting Loke playing cards at one of the tables.

"Oi, thief, you see anyone strange," he inquired, grasping at Loke's shoulder and giving it a squeeze. The others at the table could almost hear the bones crunching as the orange haired man cringed at the grab.

"N-no, sir, Mr. Redfox. Just keeping my eyes on my cards here. I didn't see anyone," he replied, shuffling his cards around as though he was suddenly in the mood to put them in some particular order. Gajeel glanced up at the others around them, earning hurried head shakes.

"Tch, useless," he muttered, letting Loke go. He moved to walk away when he heard the word 'Hamunaptra' spill from one of the other card players at Loke's table, causing him to pause and turn back. He noticed that Loke's shoulders were scrunched up as if he'd been caught. Gajeel leaned, his hair spilling over as he brought his arm to rest on the man's shoulder as he looked over at his gambling buddies. "Did I just hear what I thought I heard?" One of the three men pulled his cigar from the corner of his mouth, moving his long bangs out of his face before adjusting his cowboy hat.

"Yeah, we're going to Hamunaptra!" he boasted, examining his cards too much to notice the glare he was getting. "Got us a man who's been there and everything." A slight scowl came over Gajeel's face, feeling these men were going to be a thorn in his side somehow. He noticed another man rather close, his nose buried in a book as he smoked a pipe. He was occasionally looking over at him, making Gajeel feel like he was being studied. He had a similar book to what Levy was reading, making him feel he was this group's brain of the little excursion. At a quick glance, the three others didn't seem like they had a brain cell between them to understand what they were getting into.

' _So these are the fools that Zoldeo is bringing. Wonder if they know he's in the water,'_ he mused, watching one of the men throw back a shot of liquor while the third polished his glasses.

"Guess we'll be seeing who gets there first," said Glasses as he replaced the object on his face. Gajeel blinked slowly, his expression showing confusion as he watched the morons in front of him continue their game with the cigar smoker pulling all the cash towards himself.

"First?"

"We know you're going too. Daniels, it's your deal," the man murmured towards the drunk.

"Says who?" At that, Gajeel could feel Loke shudder, knowing he was in hitting range. "Ah… I see…" He leaned up, studying the men before him. He gave a devilish grin, crossing his arms over his chest. "Gihee!"

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 **I decided to leave the three explorers and the egyptologist the same... cuz I don't know who I'm looking to kill... Yeah I don't need that kinda hate haha. So if you think there was someone I could have put there, feel free to suggest it. Still early enough to alter things if needed.**

 **Thanks to BanRedfox for talking to me about some suggestions for later ^_~ Had fun chatting~!**

 **Be sure to let me know what you think and remember to check out the FAN ART (links in my bio)**


	3. The boat ride

**Hello cuties, how are you? Good, I hope~!**

 **Here's another chapter of my crossover, hope to hear from you. Your words help motivate me with posting and I really hope you enjoy the FAN ART I have posted so far. Working on some color scenes for it. Be sure to check those out on P atreon ~!**

 **Self editing so sorry if I missed something**

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In her compartment, Levy was borderline ready for bed, her white knee-length gown swishing around as she set out her clothes for the morning. In her other hand, a book on Ancient Egypt was cracked open, the words sitting before her but not registering. She was muttering to herself, her hand with the clothing losing grip as they crumpled to the floor in her daze. At hearing the hanger thud with a soft noise, she blinked back into reality, glancing down at her dress. Giving a frustrated sigh, she closed the book, placing it on the table next to the open iron box. At the start of the boat ride, the trio spoke of the item with Levy reading the hieroglyphics to the boys. It seemed to be some sort of riddle pertaining to life and death. Out of context, it was rather vague which was why the blue haired girl was burying herself in her tomes that she brought with her. The old paper they had found within was a map, the drawings faded and crude at best in terms of showing the City of the Dead. Currently it was splayed out under the box, holding it down from any sort of wind from her open window. Placing the book on the map, she picked up the box again, snapping it closed and examining it for easily the hundredth time. Wandering up to the dresser, she placed it down, grabbing a brush and untangling her wild locks. Her eyes finally focused, seeing herself in such a stupor. She let out a growl, glaring at herself.

"Ugh, why can't I… It wasn't even a good kiss," she mumbled to herself, slamming her brush down. Her eyes landed on the iron box, shoving it back to mingle with the bottles of lotion and creams that were on the dresser counter. Looking at it reminded her of a certain red eyed male. A very attractive… red eyed male… who… "Good Lord, what is wrong with me!? He's…" She remembered his smug look, her brow creasing as she leaned against the dresser. Her hand knocked her brush over, the noise startling her to reflectively lean down for it. As she came back up, she glared at the object as though it was the source of her problems. A deep sigh escaped her as she placed it back down, her eyes moving up to spy a man in black garb glaring at her through the mirror. She only managed half a scream as she spun before he lunged forward, grasping her around her throat and slamming her against the nearby wall, raising a dagger towards her face. Her fingers pried at his hand, her air supply being limited with his tight grip.

"Where is the map?" he hissed, pressing the tip of the blade against her cheek. Wide, honey eyes frantically darted to the small table where the parchment was laid out, her hand coming up to motion towards it. He stole a glance, spying what he wanted before looking at her once more, squeezing a bit harder and hearing her choke for air. He pulled the blade away a bit, motioning towards the map. "Where is the key? It was with it." She began shaking her head as best she could, unsure what he was speaking of. A loud clatter drew their attention as Gajeel came bursting through the door, his dual pistols out and cocked back.

"Levy! Are you alright?!" He aimed towards the man, watching him pull the girl before him like a shield. The hooded man drew her close against his torso, his hand clasping around the front of her chest and over her collarbone as he pulled her back. Something about the man holding her had Gajeel twitching in anger as he took a step into the room. She stole a glance at Gajeel, her eyes tearing from nearly being choked to death. Biting her lip, she slammed her foot down, catching him off guard and loosening his grip enough for her to duck under him and twist near the dresser. As soon as she was clear, Gajeel opened fire, watching the man clutch at the wounds in pain before falling over. At his collapse, the lit candles on the table toppled to the ground and rolled about, lighting the cloth on the bed and the curtains on fire. Levy glanced up from the dead body in time to scream as another hooded man grabbed Gajeel from behind, attempting to choke him with a rope. Leaning forward a bit to pull him forward, Gajeel used the momentum to help him as he slammed his head back, bashing the man in the face and breaking his nose. A quick twist of his body and the crimson eyed male shot this one down too, watching him tumbling backwards and over the railing into the water. Putting one of his revolvers away, he lunged forward, grabbing the girl's wrist. As she was yanked away, she grasped the iron box on the counter behind her, squeaking as she was dragged out to the main deck. Outside, the other men were in cover, an intense firefight between them and more hooded enemies. The pair ducked their heads as they hurried to the edge of the boat, knowing the thing was going to be consumed in flames soon. As they approached the railing, he scooped Levy up bridal style before tossing her overboard, hearing her scream stop suddenly as she hit the water. He looked back at the deck, seeing more of these strange men throwing torches into the hay stacks and cargo, increasing the spread of the flames. On the other end of the main deck, the crazy group that Zoldeo was leading were shouting and cheering, almost as though this were a game to them. He rolled his eyes, a voice stopping him from jumping overboard.

"Redfox!" He turned to find Loke rushing up to him as he pulled his weapon bag over his shoulder. "What's going on!? Where is my sister?" Gajeel gave him a blank look, motioning for him to calm down.

"She's fine, wait here and I'll get help," he said, climbing over the rail and into the cold waters below. The orange haired male tilted his head a bit before realizing he'd been ditched, following after them into the churning waters. Along the shoreline, Levy gasped for breath, her gown clinging to her body like a second skin.

"That insufferable man!" she screeched, pushing her matted hair out of her face in a huff.

"That's what I get for saving you?" She spun on her heel, finding him in the same state, his clothing drenched and his long hair clinging to him. In her rage, she failed to see him go wide eyed, his eyes darting away from her as a blush dusted his cheeks. It wasn't until he'd tossed down his bag and began taking off his shirt that she realized his uncomfortable expression.

"What are-" she was cut off as he walked up and wrapped the cloth around her. Her eyes darted down to see the water had made her night gown quite see-through, her nipples hardened from the icy waters. A small scream escaped her as she clutched at the offered clothing, her face turning bright red. She peeked a look towards him, watching him pull his chest holster back on over his bare torso. It was then she noticed a black dragon tattoo on his left shoulder, the scaly creature curled around with the tail curving to finish the sort of circle. The wings were splayed out as though it was about to rear its head back and roar. Upon pulling his hair free from the leather, he turned back to her, his face still tinged pink. "W-what are we going to do now? We've lost everything. All our gear and the map."

"Not worried about the map," he mumbled, looking towards the water, "I am the map, remember?" Loke came stumbling towards them, trying to flick his hands about to get water off while fixing his glasses. All their attention was drawn as a strange voice shouted at them from across the riverbank.

"Hey, Redfox! Looks like we have all the horses!" They spotted Zoldeo in the water up to his knees, his expression quite smug as the others behind him gathered and settled the animals. The siblings watched as Gajeel merely started chuckling, his shoulders shaking visibly now that they were bare.

"That fucking idiot…" he mumbled, pointing at him, "Doesn't matter if you are on the wrong side of the river, ya moron!" Zoldeo scoffed as though he didn't believe him, his eyes looking around. After a moment, his expression fell, realizing that his ex-partner was indeed right, cursing in another language much to Gajeel's amusement. He began stamping his feet, startling the horses he had been so proud to have had and earning strange looks from his fellow travelers who were unaware.

"Oh dear," Levy whispered, understanding every nasty word that came from Zoldeo's mouth. Gajeel pointed to Loke, motioning towards the female.

"You. Give your sister your jacket." It was then that the orange haired male noticed Levy's problem, peeling the garment off and handing it to her. "We should get moving. There should be a village nearby we can get supplies from." She handed her brother the box to which he put in his pocket for safekeeping. Pulling the jacket over her shoulders, she used Gajeel's shirt to cover her front. "Let's get moving, we don't want to be out here when the sun rises."

* * *

Villagers bustled around as they went about their daily lives, herding livestock or preparing food for storage. In the distance, a lone white male was fighting with a camel herder, his arms flailing wildly as he screamed in anger. Gajeel walked up to the pair of quarreling men, smacking Loke upside the head before demanding he merely just pay the other man what he wanted.

"He's asking for so much! What does he need all that money for? There's nothing out here!" The orange haired male looked around frantically, motioning to the entirety of the small village in his desperate attempt at getting a price-cut. Gajeel let out a low growl, his studded brow coming down in anger and annoyance at how his traveling companion was behaving. With a hand on his hip and his finger in his face, the raven haired male startled Loke, the latter's glasses sliding down his nose a bit as he bristled in shock.

"Just shut up and give him the damn money, ya stingy bastard." Giving an exasperated sigh, Loke procured the amount that was asked of him, growling low as the vendor walked away while counting what was handed to him. He grasped at the camel's' reins, dragging the two animals after Gajeel as he grabbed one of them himself. "Such a rip."

"Calm down, I'm sure you'll find something to make up for it," the crimson eyed male grumbled, giving the other man a look.

"I hope so…" he groaned, glancing down at what little remained of his stash. "By the way, where is Levy? I haven't seen her since those village girls hurried away with her." The other man shrugged, patting the animal's muzzle as the creature continued gnawing on straw.

"I dunno, seemed to me like they were interested in dressing her up or something. I saw them throwing different fabrics at her." He glanced around as he spoke, only seeing more villagers as he scanned for a certain blue haired female. "Probably could have traded her for the camels," he said half heartedly, the joke tasting stale on his tongue. He heard a chuckle beside him, the brother almost too amused by the comment.

"Heh, maybe. Could have probably gotten more at that point," Loke replied, tugging on the reins some more. "Oh there she is." Gajeel looked up, finding her among a small group of girls who were laughing along with her as she spoke to them in their language. They seemed to really enjoy the girl's company, the females all chatting amongst each other at what she'd said. It seemed she was saying goodbye as they parted from her, waving and replying in kind. As if sensing them, she turned towards the men, seeing Gajeel freeze at seeing her veiled face through the black fabric and beads. He swallowed thickly, raking his gaze over her new attire of a black dress similar to those the girls she was with were sporting. It seemed she made some alterations to it, her sleeves being separate from the rest of the gown that reached down to her ankles. She approached them, her black flats protecting her feet from the burning sands.

"You like it?" she asked, peering up at a stunned Gajeel. He flinched, blinking repeatedly before grunting his approval. Loke tried his best to hide his smirk, tugging his camel away from them while his sister leaned in to look at Gajeel's face. "What's wrong?" He took a hurried step back, not expecting her to move so close to him.

"Nothin'! Here, this one is for you," he mumbled, passing her one of the reins. His cocky smile returned as he noticed her examining the animal. "Gihee, what's wrong? Can't reach the saddle?" She bristled at his words, glaring at him while puffing her cheeks. Her other hand ended on her hip, her body leaning to the side which made it very noticeable to him. Before she could realize his slight blush, he walked up, leaning down to grab her around her knees, hoisting her up. Not expecting such contact, she let out a squeak, grasping at the saddle as she lifted above it. "Ya got it?" He prayed she pulled herself up fast, feeling the softness of her hip against his face.

"I-I think so," she mumbled, pulling herself up to sit side saddle. The camel bleated, moving its head near the male and making him take a step back before it sputtered on him. "Seems to like you." She let out a chuckle. He made a face at the animal, shaking his head as he moved to mount his own.

"Right… well if we head out now. We can be there by tomorrow morning." She glanced around, her large eyes blinking slowly as she surveyed the area.

"Where is Loke?"

"Let's just leave 'im." He watched as she let out a laugh, the sound music to his ears. She gave him a grin, her eyes glancing around.

"As tempting as that is, he has your little puzzle box," she replied. He let out a grumble, pulling on his reins to motion his camel to wander through the village. She watched him move ahead, a small smile on her lips.

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 **Looking forward to hearing from you lovelies ~! Seriously, you have no idea what your words do to my life. You guys make me so happy when you talk to me.**

 **Have a few images related up and for your viewing pleasures. Tempted to do the part in the river... what do you guys think?**


	4. Exploration

How have you been lovelies? Things have been pretty hectic with work so I've been very scatter-brained. My focus has been so-so. Hopefully, things simmer down and I can write more. Life has been stressful and doing and sharing this... seeing ppl enjoy it makes me happy.

If you are looking for any fan art for this story I have some on Deviant Art, my new Tumblr, and P atreon (check bio for links)

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The ride was a rather long one, leaving the group to have to semi-sleep atop their camels as they traveled on. Loke and Gajeel took turns staying awake to make sure no one fell from their ride or that they kept their correct course. It was uncomfortable but some rest was gained. As the sun began its peak over the horizon, the raven haired male nudged the siblings as he motioned just ahead of them. They approached an open area just beyond a huge sand dune, the air beginning to warm up already from the cold night. A gentle wind blew by, kicking up sand and irritating the camels as the group stood on standby per Gajeel's order. A bit the ways down, the other group from the boat arrived with Zoldeo at the lead. One of the trio called out, an evil grin plastered on his face.

"Hey Redfox!" The siblings glanced over at their guide, curious as to why they were speaking to him. They saw his expression seemed annoyed, refusing to look over at them as he kept his gaze forward. He tugged on the reins of his camel, leaning forward to scratch its ears. "We know you remember the bet, right?" Loke went to say something but was silenced by the other male, his glare causing any words to catch in his throat in pure fear. The trio snickered to each other, all three looking towards Levy. Not expecting the attention, she raised an eyebrow, looking back at Gajeel.

"I didn't agree to those terms…" She thought she heard him mutter.

"Gajeel?" He glanced over at her, seeing her worried expression. "They keep staring at me."

"Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it."

"Care of… care of what?" He kept looking ahead, seemingly ignoring her. "Gajeel?" He brought his finger to his lips, motioning for her to be quiet. She fumed until he pointed forward to the open area in front of them. She looked over, seeing only the hot sand, the heat shimmering in waves in the air. As if sensing something was going to happen, everyone's animals became twitchy, moving around and making noises. Levy leaned forward, rubbing the back of her camel's head while cooing to it. It seemed to soothe it, the animal settling down with a soft whine.

"Here it comes," Gajeel murmured, his tone and expression showing exhaustion. He really didn't want to be here. Flashes of men dying and being chased went through his mind, making him restless. He'd almost died here himself. However, the thought of dying had him glancing in Levy's direction, remembering why he was here again to begin with. His hand rubbed his throat without him realizing.

"What," Loke blurted, tugging his reins. Gajeel rolled his eyes, looking away while pointing towards their target. Only shimmers were visible, the sunlight playing against the sand and toying with their senses.

"We're here. This is Hamunaptra." At this statement, the heat waves began revealing structures, columns of stone appearing as if from out of nowhere. They watched in awe as the crumpling city came into view as though a veil had been lifted. "Get ready to race over there." Levy snapped her head towards him, her face scrunched in confusion.

' _Perhaps there is a certain point in time needed in order to enter?'_ she mused, bracing herself to rush ahead. At the shout of one of Zoldeo's companions, everyone bolted forward. It was quite obvious that the camels were doing much better than the other group's horses, Gajeel's party gaining easy. Zoldeo was in the lead for his group, his horse coming up alongside Levy. He reached over, grasping her arm and earning a shriek until he was struck upside the head. Letting the blue haired girl go, Zoldeo wobbled a bit from the impact, looking over to find Gajeel glaring at him.

"Get your fucking hands off what's mine," he hissed, shoving him again and watching him tumble to the ground. From all the commotion, Levy's camel dashed ahead faster out of fear.

' _Serves that guy. Trying to pull me off like that!'_ She steadied herself. ' _Wait, did Gajeel just say "mine"?'_ Her thoughts were broken as she heard Loke cheering her on from a bit of a ways back, coaxing her to win the race. As they all gathered near the stone entrance of the city, Levy heard the men behind her grumbling miserably. ' _Is it really that bad that I got here first?'_ She glanced over, seeing one of them, Daniels, walk up to Gajeel as he dismounted and began tying his camel's reins up to a post. He was sporting a small brown bag to which he grabbed the crimson eyed male's wrist above the metal bracelet and turned his hand out, palm up, depositing the money.

"Guess you won this one, Redfox," he sneered, clearly not happy. Gajeel glanced at the satchel in his hand before shoving it into the man's chest as hard as he could, knocking the guy down on his ass. The force he used had his hair falling into his eyes and one of his sleeves unrolling as he pointed down at the man, his lip curled in a snarl with his fangs exposed.

"You can take your damn money! I never agreed to any of this!" He turned his heated glare to Zoldeo and Loke, pointing at them, "This was all between them!" She was even more stunned when he pointed back at her without looking, "You wanna tell her what ya did?" Ok… now she was _really_ curious. She carefully climbed down from the saddle, hanging off the side before landing in the soft sand. She wobbled a bit, her arms flailing out to balance herself as she heard the men continue to argue in the background. Her brother and this Zoldeo, however, didn't say a peep. Their silence made the red eyed male even angrier as he whipped around and waltzed up to her, lifting her up, his arms holding her around her back and under her knees in a bridal style.

"G-Gajeel, what-?"

"I'm getting you away from them," he spat, leaving the others alone. She struggled against him a bit at first until she felt him squeeze her against his chest. Once she finally settled and accepted that this was happening, she peered up at him. Even though he wasn't directing it at her, his icy glare made her shiver. Feeling they were far enough, Gajeel set her down, muttering as he busied himself by checking the pistols in his holsters. "Stupid… no good sons a bitches… no fucking loyalty..." She bit her lip, playing with the fabric of her dress as she watched him fume to himself.

"Gajeel? What's wrong?" She saw him stop, looking at her with his hands on his hips. He dusted off his shirt, beginning to fix one of his sleeves that had come undone from pushing Daniels. She waited patiently, afraid that anything she said might set him off again. The sun began climbing higher in the sky, the heat becoming unbearable. He finally focused on her completely, his face showing discomfort and anger while biting his lip.

"I shouldn't be the one to have to tell you this since it was _their_ idea but those guys made a bet. Clearly our side received money if we won. What they wanted if they won… was you."

"Me?" she blurted, her eyes bulging out of reflex. He watched her eyes move about, as though going over everything in her head. Suddenly, she glanced up, her brown orbs looking at him with relief and… respect? "You… were protecting me?" He shifted his weight uncomfortably, not liking being called out like that. The moment those men even suggested Levy, he wanted to back off and forget ever bringing any sort of bet up to begin with. He never imagined they would be like that and he didn't want to think what they were planning for her. He could see why with how other women in this land were. Levy was much more pleasing to the eye with her lovely blue hair, full lips, wide hips, generous a… He shook his head, his eyes raking up to meet hers.

"I wasn't going along with that bull. I didn't like your brother as it was, now… heh…," he glanced upward, bringing a hand to his chin as if in thought, "You better not leave us alone in any of these tombs, all I gotta say." To his surprise, she let out a small chuckle, her arms gently crossed over her chest as she leaned to the side.

"I trust it won't be a quick death either," she replied, her expression showing slight amusement as she moved closer to him without him realizing. He shook his head, his hair wisping about.

"Doesn't deserve it. I don't -" he halted, finding her right beneath him with her arms behind her back. Not expecting her so close, he couldn't help the slight blush that creeped over his face as she leaned into him.

"You are a lot nicer than you make people believe you are." A small giggle escaped her as she heard him gulp loudly. Her eyes suddenly shifted over, a scowl coming over her face. Noticing the change in mood, Gajeel glanced over his shoulder, taking all his willpower not to draw his gun as a certain orange haired brother cautiously made his way over to them. "Loke, you- you!" she began, pushing by Gajeel and into her brother's face. He raised his hands up, trying to calm her down.

"Now, now, I can explain!"

"What's there to _explain_ exactly," she crossed her arms as she seethed, jutting her hip out which did not go unnoticed by the red-blooded male behind her. "What is wrong with you?" He opened his mouth to reply when she held up her hand to stop him, "Better yet, just tell me what's right… I don't have all day." Behind them, Gajeel snickered, enjoying how feisty she was being. Loke gave a nervous chuckle, his eyes constantly shifting between his sister and their guide.

"Levy, I'm sorry. It was just so tempting," he replied, pulling out the satchel that Gajeel had denied. The dark hair male went wide eyed, knowing for sure she was going to kill her brother now.

"And dare I even ask how much my life is worth?" She waltzed up, leafing through the contents a moment. "Only $500?! You-!" She moved to grab at him when a pair of arms grasped her around the waist, lifting her slightly and pulling her to the side. After a bit of wiggling, the dark haired male became weary of this whole mess, hauling her over his shoulder. Loke watched with shock until Gajeel snapped his fingers at him.

"Box." Being caught off guard, Loke nearly dropped everything to fumble through his jacket, procuring the desired item and handing it over. All the while, Levy demanded she be let go, pounding her tiny fists on Gajeel's back. As soon as the smooth metal touched his hand, the crimson eyed male turned and stalked off, still ignoring Levy's insisting to be released. Once they were quite a ways from everyone, he spanked her tush, earning a small scream. "Oi, calm down." He put the box in his pocket, letting her down. "Didn't you want to explore this place?" That got her attention, watching her inhale a deep breath to relax. She moved to fix her blue curls, her face flushed from anger and embarrassment.

"That insufferable… of all the," she continued muttering, her eyes scanning the area for where to start. She froze at seeing Gajeel staring at her, his red eyes blazing.

"Don't stress it. I wouldn't have let anything happen." The wind picked up a bit, the hot air swishing the sands around them. It was then he noticed her hands were behind her back as she watched him.

"You don't seem any better," she murmured. He threw back his head, laughing as he realized she was covering her tush with her hands. After a moment, she fiddled with her veil, covering her face again to hide her blush. Taking the chance, she turned to a nearby wall, examining the faded markings on it until a muscled arm blocked her path. Turning towards him, she realized she was indeed again trapped in his arms, an almost evil grin on his face that showed his fangs as he leaned forward.

"Ya know ya liked it." She pressed her back against the wall, her eyes darting elsewhere in embarrassment.

"I… I mean…"

"Gihee, something wrong?" His grin vanished when he heard the smallest 'no' from her, her head downward and turned away from him. At his silence, she dared to glance at him, finding an amused look as he leaned in more. "I thought you didn't want to bother with such a rude, unkempt, rowdy guy like me?" She frowned at hearing her own words, glancing away.

"I can't help it if you drive me crazy," she whispered. He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"Is that so?" He leaned in, his hair falling into his face as he peered down into her wide, hazel eyes. "Is it a good crazy?" As he moved closer, she could feel her heart pounding against her ribcage as though it were trying to escape. What was it about him that made her so weak-kneed and short of breath? Using his other hand, he gently push a small strand of her bangs away, her reddening face making him chuckle. A loud shout in the distance had them jolting back to reality, with Gajeel leaning back. Levy remained still, her body pressed firmly against the dusty wall. At him clearing his throat, her eyes focused, blinking a bit as if to clear her thoughts.

"Um… I… I should… be getting to work," she mumbled, still in a daze. Beside her, Gajeel had his sights on the men in the distance, wondering what they were up to to be yelling like that. "Oh, it seems there is an opening over here." He turned back to find her knelt down, having gone along the wall away from him. "We should have some equipment still in order to get down here." Before she could even ask, he was already walking away, shouting a 'be right back' over his shoulder. She watched his retreating figure as she remained on her knees by the hole, feeling her face heat up far warmer than the sun could have done.

* * *

As he approached her with the climbing gear, Gajeel noticed Levy was cleaning what looked like a mirror. Her focus was completely on her task, not once looking up he began setting things down. He watched as she worked, her veil taken off again and completely gone, clearly having been in her way. A black headband was back in its place, pulling her hair back and along the side of her face as it was when he'd met her.

"Hey, sis…" they both looked up, finding Loke with his hands in his pockets. His gaze remained on the ground, waiting for the verdict on what the pair might say or do to him. "I wanted to apologize." Levy leaned on her side a bit, her hand on her hip as she watched him a moment. The silence was eating away at him but still he refused to look up. Finally, she walked up, thrusting another rag in his arms.

"You can start by helping me with these," she said simply, no sort of particular emotion in her body and voice. While it seemed like being neutral to Gajeel, Loke seemed to perk up. Clearly he was used to this sort of thing with her, smiling as he began cleaning another mirror. "Remember that you are meant to catch the sun with that." Studying them both for a moment, Gajeel went over to the female, tilting his head in interest at what she was doing.

"So what are these old mirrors for?"

"Ancient mirrors," she corrected, angling it while glancing at the one Loke was working on. "It's an ancient trick. I'll show you when we get down there." He merely nodded, his twitchy motions causing her to stop and stare at him. He leaned forward, holding out a parcel.

"I, uh… I know we lost most of your stuff. Thought maybe you could use that." Taking it, she gave him a smile, watching his face light up red just before he turned away. She pulled the parcel open, an array of brushes, chisels, and small hammers greeting her. Her brown eyed gaze looked up to watch the raven haired male as he walked away, a small giggle escaping her as she watched him feign he would strike Loke for his staring. He checked the rope he'd tied to a nearby column to make sure it was secured before beginning to climb down into the pit. Satisfied with the way the mirror was set up, Levy moved to follow with Loke close behind her. Upon reaching the bottom, the dark haired man began squinting, frowning at realizing he'd lost his lighter on the boat. "Ah fuck, this should be fun…" A sharp cry of pain caught his attention, looking up in time to see Levy slip a bit from the rope. "L-Levy!" There was the sound of fabric shredding before she screamed and slipped, falling into Gajeel's arms. "Gotcha!" She grasped around his neck, her eyes squeezed shut. "Oi… you ok?" Her entire body relaxed, her eyes opening to look up at him, tears forming at the corners.

"Levy!" her brother shouted.

"Y-yes, I'm fine. Thank you," she whispered, staring into his eyes. Loke touched the ground, picking up the dropped parcel that Gajeel had given her, dusting the sand off it.

"Dark as hell down here," the orange haired male answered, looking around. Placing her down, Levy walked over to a similar mirror to the ones outside, her shaky hands shifting it so it caught the light and spread it to other mirrors throughout the room, illuminating the entire thing. Once it was set, she turned towards them with her hands on her hips, a look of pride on her face. Gajeel let out a chuckle. "Good job, sis. Still works like a charm." She beamed a bit before turning to view the room they discovered. Offhand, Gajeel felt this was once a place of torture, various stone that looked as though it has at one time held many a man down as something gruesome occurred. To confirm suspicions, he edged over to one, lightly nudging the rusted iron clamps designed to hold down one's wrists. A small gasp escaped their female companion, her eyes widening as her hand came over her mouth. Gajeel felt his face heat up at noticing that her dress had spilt down her right side from the hip down, showing her leg now.

"This… this is _sarneche_." His eyes darted back up at her, seeing her examining the room with marvel.

"What?" came the reflexive reply.

"This is where they prepared people for the afterlife," she whispered, her eyes scanning the area. Loke spied a torch, yanking it free from the wall and using his lighter to set it up before igniting a second and handing it to Gajeel. He took it, noticing the man was very excited about their find.

"Mummies, my friend. This is where they made the mummies," he clarified as he pushed his glasses up his nose, walking ahead a bit. They found a hallway, keeping close to each other as they cautiously walked through, Levy's warning of traps fresh in their minds.

After a while of exploring with the occasional strange noise disturbing them, the trio stumbled upon a room with a half buried statue within. Gajeel frowned at seeing it being the same image as the one he'd seen the day he'd almost died here, giving him a strange feeling in his gut. He glared at it, the torch flickering in his grasp as he began a staring contest with the inanimate object. Meanwhile, Loke handed over the parcel back to Levy as she began examining the statue. She glided her hand over the stone, sand particles falling free at her delicate touch.

"This is Anubis, the God of Death." At that, Gajeel turned his gaze upward to look at it, scoffing and shaking his head at the irony. His eyes moved down to watch Levy use one of the brushes he'd gotten her to remove debris from the stone's surface. What she wasn't aware of was that he'd stolen it from one of the guys with Zoldeo. He wasn't entirely sure whose it was but the thought had him grinning, proud of his work. Being absorbed in observing her, he nearly missed the noise of something approaching, grabbing both his pistols as the torch hit the sandy floor. Beside him, Loke drew his weapon as well, their three coming face to face with a group of men aiming their weapons towards them. Levy let out a small gasp, jolting and pressing her back against the statue as the clicking of guns cocking sounded.

"Jeez, Redfox, you scared the shit it of us," the one named Daniels hissed, his weapon falling to his side in relief. Gajeel's studded brow came down in anger, hating to admit it but they startled him just as bad.

"Likewise," he murmured, pulling back as well. The man with the glasses seemed to spy what Levy had tucked under her arm, walking forward a bit and provoking everyone's weapons up again.

"That's my tool kit! Ok, maybe not," he whimpered at staring down Gajeel's gun. He eyed the barrel of the pistol, feeling a drop off sweat beading up in fear. The third of the rowdy men from the card game, Henderson, grasped at Burns' shoulder, tugging him back slightly.

"Easy, Burns, let's not make everyone twitchy again." She glanced at the tools a moment, her eyes watching Gajeel for confirmation to which he seemed to deny, his gaze never breaking from the men before them. Loke and Gajeel remained frozen, their glares heated as they continued holding their ground against easily triple the amount of firepower looking back at them. Levy took a hesitant step forward, hoping to settle this without any sort of bloodshed.

"Well, gentlemen, it was lovely to see you again but we have work to do," came her sweet voice, hoping everyone would disarm. This only proved to heighten tensions as the egyptologist behind them snipped at her.

"Piss off, this is our site. We were here first," he seethed. She glared at him in response, trying to search her mind for his name again. She's seen him before when the curator she worked for had new items to display.

'' _Dr. Chamberlain, if I recall,'_ she thought as she took a step back as they men in front of him pointed their weapons again. Beside her, she could hear Gajeel. ' _Is he… growling?'_ She snuck a glance, finding a look of pure rage on his face, his red eyes flashing dangerously. She found herself thoroughly distracted, surprised to find herself getting warm over his display of dominance.

"Seems you are out of your league here, Redfox. You see, there is only three of you and fifteen of me," Zoldeo crooned, referring to the hired diggers behind them even though they had no weapons to use. Gajeel pointed both his guns at the thin man, watching him freeze at the attention.

"I've dealt with worse," he hissed.

"Same," came a response from Loke, earning a slightly surprised look from the man beside him. As Levy moved to stop them, her foot knocked some loose stones, hearing a faint _click_ as they fell through the floor in a crack. She raised an eyebrow curiously, tapping another one and listening. There was a room directly beneath them. Suddenly, both men on her side were nearly crashing into her as they jumped back, the others threatening them if they didn't leave. Levy took the chance to lunge between them, earning protests from everyone. "Levy, what are you doing? That's dangerous!"

"I can't take it. You're all being ridiculous!" She turned towards Zoldeo, her glare taking them off guard, "If you hurt my boys, I'll kill you myself!" Loke noticed Gajeel flinch, his eyes wide and blinking slowly. Letting out a sigh, she turned to her brother and guide, giving them a smile, "I'm sure there are other places to dig." Gajeel moved to protest but her stare stopped him, realizing she was signaling him with those big doe-like eyes of hers. He put the safety on his pistols before holstering them, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Tch, I guess I'll let it go this time," he muttered, eyeing Zoldeo who was shifting comfortably regardless of the handgun he still had trained on the man. He knew more than most that even without weapons, Gajeel Redfox was a dangerous man. Perhaps moreso due to at least having an idea of what would happen if he had one. An eerie silence fell over everyone, either side nervous about making any sort of move. The tension was so thick it almost could have formed between them. Rolling her eyes and readjusting the tool kit under her arm, she walked up to the studded male, curling her around his bicep, taking him a tad off guard.

"Come along now," she murmured, giving a small smile as Gajeel obeyed with a dazed look. Loke still had his gun drawn, backing up slowly while eyeing the others to be sure they didn't pull anything. Once they were in the hallway again, Levy let go of the male, hurrying forward. "There's a room beneath this one, I saw it through a crack in the floor." Behind her, a pair of red eyes watched her with a hungry gaze, having enjoyed her body pressed against his in what he saw as her trying to make the others jealous of him. Zoldeo may have bragged about having fifteen on his side but none of them were women. His blood boiled at catching a few of them eyeing her up while the whole showdown occurred. He was still sore about the bet, his rage not yet quelled from the incident. What was it about this woman that had him so crazy? He answered his own question as she looked back at him over her shoulder, her eyes bright as she smiled and pointed, saying something about teaching those guys a lesson.

"That's brilliant, Levy, then we can take whatever it is out from under them!" Loke waltzed up beside her, ruffling her hair to which she protested with some scolding. He began speaking of having money and wooing women once they got home with Gajeel hearing Levy give an exasperated sigh over.

"There you go again, taking advantage of my brain," she said, shaking her head. Still behind the siblings, Gajeel watched her blue locks swish about with her head movements, the short strands dusting her shoulders while her longer bangs whipped out. His heated stare trailed down her spine, taking in her small waist until it billowed out to the swell of her backside. That dress was hugging her just right, her curves very pronounced through the cloth. He suddenly felt himself very protective of anyone else seeing her at all, his pace increasing to get behind her. Coming up on her right, he got an eyeful of her leg through the tattered dress, her dainty feet going faster than them to keep up.

"I think this might be it, Levy!" His attention was brought back at seeing her hurry forward to stand next to her brother. She stared down the ramp he'd found, examining the walls and stone floor. "What's wrong?" She seemed to ignore him, her hand on her chin in thought. Finally she checked the ground near her feet, finding a bit of stone that had crumbled from the wall. Tossing it down, she listened for anything, her hand along her ear to help. Loke went to say something else, causing her to shush him. All the while, Gajeel watched to make sure no one came up behind them, itching to shoot someone after all the nonsense earlier.

"I think it should be alright," she finally murmured, about to walk down when a studded arm crossed in front of her.

"I'll go first," he said, taking point.

"But I-" His gaze stopped her, a pout forming on her lips. "Just be careful please. Just because I did that, doesn't mean there aren't traps." Giving her a firm nod, he raised his torch, moving forward.

Traveling down the ramp proved uneventful as Levy had assumed, the trio finding themselves in what looked like a cave, the stone walls uneven. The girl raced up to the thin beam of light, glancing up to see the very tiny opening she had witnessed upstairs. With the ceiling being so high and it being so thick, they couldn't even hear the men above them, only occasionally seeing the light flicker from being blocked.

"Wow, how did you know this was here," Loke murmured, using his torch to explore the limits of the room. She placed the tool kit down, glancing around to size up the room.

"Nevermind that, this should be where the statue is." She pointed to the spot to the left of the beam of light, swishing her arm around to emphasize where the statue was. "If we can get through this, we should be right between his legs," she explained with excitement. The siblings missed Gajeel turn his head away, face flushed, making it look like he was checking the room as well. "We can get to whatever is here before them and they would never know!" Loke gave a wide grin, stabbing his torch into the soil nearby. He pulled his backpack off, taking out the required tools, handing Gajeel a pickaxe. "Oh how I wish I had my books. I know there was a passage about Anubis in them." She frowned at remembering the boat fire, pacing as she mumbled to herself.

"So right here?" She glanced up to find Gajeel pointing to confirm, earning a nod. Seeing him pull his arms back to swing, she scurried away some, turning back in time to see him strike the stone above. With his height, it was easy for him or her brother to reach. She kept her gaze on their raven haired companion, watching his arms and chest flex under his shirt as he continued to chip away at the stone ceiling.

* * *

Looking forward to hearing from you guys. Hope you are having fun with this. I know I am in writing it. Still unsure about characters later. Was talking to BanRedfox about some suggestions but still not sure. If anyone else has ideas, feel free. Would love to chat.

Be sure to check my bio for any info on locations for fan art.

Just so it's clear, I do love Loke its just I'm semi-merging him with Jonathan so he's more prone to being a selfish dummy in here. xD


	5. Discovery

**Hello lovelies, how have you been?**

 **Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing, you are my motivation to move forward and keep going~!**

 **Editing by me, so if I missed something: Sorry ~!**

* * *

After a few hours with nothing to show for it, Gajeel and Loke, mainly Gajeel, were taking a break, his arms sore from the odd angle of excavating. He was currently sitting beside Levy who was rubbing his arms and shoulders, his expression relaxed. He'd told her not to bother but she refused, tackling him and startling him into submission. Beside them and about five feet away, Loke was using one of the pickaxes as a golf club, knocking rocks across the room. Occasionally, they would hit the wall, rocketing off and around the area. He muttered to himself, glancing over at his sister every once in a while.

"You really don't have… ah… to do that," the raven haired male murmured, wincing at the tender flesh being caressed under her touch. She made a face, continuing her assault. Personally, she was enjoying the feel of his biceps under her fingers but she wasn't going to tell him that. She motioned for him to stretch his arm out, starting again and hearing him hiss. Another rock hit the wall, echoing.

"Nonsense, this isn't all that troublesome. Let me do this. It's strenuous enough digging but to do it in the ceiling is another thing altogether." He let out a sigh, looking around to distract himself from staring at her.

"If you say so… wonder if the others found anything."

"Must have, heard some faint screaming earlier," Loke muttered, striking another rock. This had the crimson eyed male snickering, knowing for sure one of those was Zoldeo. He stared down at his black boots, shifting the sand around with his foot a bit. There was another crack of stone hitting stone as Loke observed his swing.

"Would have loved to see that asshole crying like a damn child…"

"Hmm?" He glanced up at her, her large hazel eyes on her task she moved up to his shoulder. A soft groan was her reply as he closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation of pain melting at her touch.

"You're really good at that," he murmured, his eyes still closed. She smiled, glancing up at his calm face, watching him wince every now and then. "I think… I could let you do that all day. If I didn't feel guilty."

"Guilty about what?"

"Making you work." She ceased her movements, his eyes lazily opening in time to catch her tap the tip of his nose with her index finger.

"Don't say such nonsense. Relax," she said, starting up again. Another groan was her reward, the noise widening her smile.

"I'll ask that you refrain from making such noises over there please," Loke called, pulling his arms back to line another shot. Gajeel let out a growl, having completely forgotten he was here due to phasing out. Levy motioned to scold him when he let another rock go, a loud crack echoing and the ceiling bursting open. A large sarcophagus thundered to the ground, the impact startling Levy as she screamed and tumbled backwards to the ground. Other than jumping, Gajeel's arm went back in an attempt to catch her, frowning at finding her on her side. She squeaked at noticing her skirt had come up to her thighs, her shapely legs exposed to him. Meanwhile, Loke began dusting off the sarcophagus, his eyes as wide as saucers at its arrival. "Wow, this is amazing!"

"You're lucky none of us were crushed, ya fucking idiot!" He leaned down, grabbing Levy's arm and helping her up. Her gaze went upward, her mouth gaping at the sight of the new hole in the ceiling. She began coughing, swishing her hand about to get the sand and dust out of her face.

"This was buried at the base of Anubis?" She looked up again, her eyes finally going down to the sarcophagus. "I never thought we would find anything like this… either he was someone very important or… he did something terrible…" Gajeel eyed her, fighting his own coughing fit at the dust entering his lungs. She began sweeping the sand off the surface, finding hieroglyphics underneath. The others watched silently as she mouthed the words out, her brows creasing as she moved along the edge. "I… I can't read this… It looks as though they chiseled parts of this off so it couldn't be read... This man was condemned not only in this life… but the next." Gajeel moved to grab the crowbar, poising to use it on her call.

"I don't think that's going to work," the other man said, motioning towards the crowbar. Levy leaned forward, gently blowing on an indentation on the edge, it's starlike shape seemingly familiar. "Looks almost like some sort of key…"

"Key?" Her eyes suddenly went wide, her body twisting towards their bags as she scrambled through them. She found it in Gajeel's bag, instantly snapping it open. He watched her intently, not caring that she was rummaging through his things. "That man on the boat! He said something about a key! I didn't know what he had meant at the time." She carefully placed the iron box down into the indent, smiling up at them when it fit perfectly. As she went to crank it, a gloved hand slammed down on hers, causing her to jump. "G-Gajeel!" He was just offering to try opening it, she wasn't sure why he was hesitating now.

"You really think this is a good idea? There might be a reason for them doing that." She blinked up at him, her face completely calm much to his dismay.

"I don't think anything could happen."

"There have been countless mummies discovered," Loke replied, giving them a small wave. He let out a grumble, removing his hand and watching Levy turn the key, a small hiss and pop causing them all to jump back as it cracked open about an inch. "Let's slide this off." Loke moved to their side, grasping at the bottom while they pushed at the rest, the large stone slab grinding off. "Gimme a hand, Redfox." Being so excited, he missed the glare he was receiving, the only thing fueling him was how the female beside him looked so thrilled. They reached in, lifting the coffin out and dragging it to the wall where they propped it up. The sand made this a tad difficult as Loke stumbled for only a moment as they leaned it up. The blue haired female appeared right beside them, her eyes glued to the casket as she scanned it quickly.

"Wow, the inscriptions were chiseled off here as well. This man was very dangerous." Gajeel raised a studded brow, a nervous look on his face as he moved to rub the sweat off his brow with the back of his arm.

"And ya still wanna open it?"

"Why not?" she countered innocently, genuinely confused as to why he was so against this. She began looking over the cover, using the tool kit of clean it off. She found a similar opening like on the sarcophagus cover, a place for the key to be used again. "Seems this thing is very important. Where did you even find it here?" He shook his head, his last visit here with the Legion being a blur.

"Ya know I really can't remember. I was running for my life," Gajeel replied in a sarcastic tone, pinching the bridge of his nose. She frowned at him, touching his cheek with her palm and startling him.

"I'm sorry. I keep reminding you of that." He shook his head again, taking her wrist and removing her hand before motioning to the coffin, flustered at the contact. Turning back, she used the key, cranking out until it popped like the lid. Both Loke and Gajeel grabbed each side, pulling hard until the cover flew off, the mummy inside bouncing out and catching after flailing out about half a foot. It's body was mangle, it's jaw hanging open and skewed to the left as if he was still screaming for his life. For whatever reason, he still had a good layer of flesh on him, most of his skeleton hidden by the rotted meat. Gajeel brought his arm up to cover his mouth, feeling like he was about to retch at the horrid smell. He noticed Levy had been quite a ways back, as if waiting for the initial odor to dissipate. "Oh my," she murmured, giving the corpse a puzzling look. "He looks like he's still decomposing… he's… he's…"

"Juicy," the men finished in unison, too grossed out to care as they looked the thing over. Loke glanced down at the cover, pointing towards the discarded lid. Kneeling beside it, Levy glided her fingers over the indented marks, a look of horror coming across her face. Her hair fell over her shoulder as she examined the deep grooves in the lid amongst the other frantic scrapings done in an attempt to claw out.

"Fingernails… this man…" she looked up at the mummy, complete terror on her face, "he was buried alive." Her gaze went back to the markings, finding an inscription. "What's this?" She mouthed some words a moment, as though figuring out what was written. She glanced up at her companions, her brows creased in concern. "It reads 'Death is only the beginning'." The orange haired man grasped his sister's arm, yanking her up and away from the coffin. "L-Loke!"

"I think that's enough for today. I have this bad feeling," he blurted out, his eyes still fixed on the corpse. She pulled her arm away, looking between them.

"You… I can't believe this. Both of you. Nothing is going to happen!" She moved near the coffin, spotting something at the bottom. She kept mumbling to herself as she carefully examined the area. The men exchanged glances before watching her stand up with something in her hands. "My goodness, scarab husks. He was buried alive with these encased within?" She began murmuring to herself while walking away, leaving the room altogether. Faintly, there was some shouting above them, a panicked voice yelling. A soft 'Gihee' escaped Gajeel as he recognized it to be his traitorous ex-partner. With a visible shiver go down his spine, Loke took a other glance at their mummy friend, it's frozen expression seeming as though it was watching the pair. Another exchange of looks and the men grabbed their bags, following after Levy.

* * *

The evening descended quickly, the groups setting up campsites and fires to keep warm in such cold conditions. For as hot as it was during the day, it was just as cold at night. Gajeel made his way over to their fire, noticing Levy shivering as she glanced through the scarabs she'd found. He sat down on the rock beside her, watching her intently. She was so focused in her findings that she seemed to miss his arrival.

"I don't think that dress is doing you any favors," he murmured, grasping her arm and dragging her closer. She let out a gasp at the motion, dropping the beetles to collide with his side. Her hand rested on his chest, her gaze going up to meet his. "Body heat." She blushed, leaning her head against him, nodding. "So I.. um…" She pulled back a bit, looking up at him again to find his face a bit red. "About what I said earlier, about regretting this place…" She hummed her acknowledgement, not wanting to interrupt him. "I don't fully hate it… I…" His body suddenly went rigid, his head turning away. He pulled one of his pistols out, giving it to her while climbing to his feet. "Stay here," he demanded, rushing away and leaving her utterly confused. In the distance, the thundering of horse hooves approached with the other group shouting about an attack. Gajeel watched in horror as the same men who had nearly killed him the last time he was here came into view, instantly striking down men and lighting their tents on fire. Pulling his other pistol, Gajeel opened fire, seeing at least two of them tumble to the ground dead. More shots were fired from his right, looking over to see the three assholes blasting any of the horsemen that came near. Levy stumbled through the sand, her foot catching on a rock and causing her to fall. As she began climbing to her feet, a yell caught her attention, turning in time to see her brother run up and shove her away. The horseman who was about to trample her settled for kicking his leg out, catching the orange haired male in the back of his head.

"Loke!" She fumbled with the pistol a moment before firing, hitting him in the shoulder and watching him fall from his horse. Rushing over, she helped her brother lean up, watching him flinch in pain. "Are you alright? Oh my… Loke, please, say something."

"Something," he mumbled, looking up at her through one open eye. A relatively large black man jumped from his horse, his dark eyes fixed on the siblings as he stalked over to them. His black hood covered most of his face, the most distinguishing feature showing was a crescent moon shaped scar around his left eye with some white hair coming over his eyes.

"S-stay back!" she screamed, hugging Loke closer to herself to shield him. Gajeel appeared between them, pulling a stick of dynamite out and lighting it with an already lit match that he'd struck against stone beforehand. At seeing the long wick burning, the black male froze, his dark brown eyes watching it to make sure it wasn't a fake. His expression was stern, clearly not liking this man having any sort of advantage on him. He pointed at the trio, his expression stern.

"You must leave this place," his loud voice caused the ones nearby to cease their fighting, the ones close to them following. "You will cause great trouble if you stay," he hissed, motioning for his men to retreat. "You have one day to leave or else." He mounted his horse, guiding it out of the camp behind the others, leaving a puff of dust and dirt on their wake. Gajeel pulled the wick out of the dynamite, throwing the lit part into the sand. He let out a breath, running a hand through his hair as Burns walked up beside him, half his face covered in shaving cream. Clearly he was in the middle of shaving at the attack. Gajeel scrunched his face in disgust at him, wondering why he was even near him in the first place.

"Perhaps we should have a truce until we get outta here," he mumbled while shuffling around, glancing at the ground in embarrassment at his face and showing fear. Gajeel smacked the back of his head, growling for him to get the hell away. Nearby, Dr. Chamberlain clutched at their group's find for the evening, the Book of the Dead. Levy began inspecting her brother's skull, hearing him tell her it was ok. She felt her emotions of fear swelling up in her chest, threatening to cause tears to spill from her eyes. She glared at the orange haired male before her, a sharp glare across her features.

"What were you thinking!? You could have been killed!" She scanned the ground nearby, finding his glasses. She cleaned them off, handing them to him as he gave her a nervous smile. He noticed her hands shaking slightly, knowing his sister was trying to contain herself as best she could.

"Come on now. Let a big brother do his job," he said softly, accepting his glasses from her. She collapsed into a heap, clutching him tight.

"You're all I have left. Don't do that again," she sobbed, feeling him hug her gently. He leaned his head against her shoulder, closing his eyes. He felt her shaking, listening to her take deep breaths to attempt to calm herself as she squeezed him. He calmly stroked her hair, trying to do his best to ease her as he always would when she was emotional.

"Yes, ma'am." Gajeel watched them, hating hearing her so upset. Loke began climbing to his feet, stumbling a bit as he reached his full height. "So now what? Those guys mean business. Looked like the same group who attacked the boat."

"Well hell," Henderson spat, crossing his arms, "clearly there is treasure here. Why else would they want us gone so bad?" Gajeel moved over to the siblings, turning his heated glare over at the others. The ignorance of these guys was really getting to him, wishing that Zoldeo wasn't on this trip to bring these guys. They were troublesome and annoying. Gajeel glanced out where the horsemen took off, a snarl on his lips as he looked back at the men.

"People out here don't value gold, they value water," Gajeel grounded out, gripping the dynamite in his hand. "I think we should listen. Come morning, we should go."

"But what about the -" Loke froze at his glare, his hand clutching the back of his head. "Right. You're the guide." Levy helped her brother back to the camp, her eye catching sight of the book that the egyptologist was squeezing to his chest. It was that and five canopic jars that their crew had found for the day, having lost about three of their diggers to the trap that was in place for it. As they made it back to their tent, Levy helped her brother settle by the fire. Luck was on their side in that their tent was merely knocked down, the whole thing in a crumpled mess. Digging through it for his bag, Levy pulled out a bottle of liquor, handing it to him.

"This should dull the pain." She watched with slight amusement as his eyes lit up, his hand curling around the neck of the bottle.

"Ah, my favorite. What a thoughtful sister I have," he mumbled, popping the cork and downing the burning drink. She let out a soft laugh, watching him lay against one the more comfortable looking stones with his jacket as a pillow. Behind them, Gajeel walked up, his eyes never leaving Levy as his thoughts raced. He knew they needed to get out of there, he'd run into these men way too many times for it to be something to ignore. His gut was telling him to take them both and leave right then and there but Loke seemed to be in no condition to move around a lot. He glanced over in the distance, seeing the other group fighting amongst each other. They were shouting and flailing their arms about wildly with Zoldeo trying his best to get a word in. Most likely he didn't want them to deny him the rest of his pay even though he had fulfilled his end of the deal. Gajeel shook his head, turning back to find Levy watching her sleeping brother, her brows still knitted in worry. Letting out a deep sigh, he walked around the fire, sitting down beside her.

"So this idiot is all you have, huh? Feel sorry for ya." She looked over at him, a small smile on her face. She could tell he was messing around, trying to lighten the mood and make her feel better. She rested her chin in her hand, her arm leaning on her thigh as she stole a glance in time to see Loke mumble in his sleep. Her gaze seemed to become unfocused as her mind retreated to a distant memory.

"Our parents are both dead. Loke is the only family I have remaining. He's a womanizing fool but I love him. Gets me in more trouble than I can ever dream of." As if sensing they were talking about him, Loke stirred a bit, snuggling the bottle some more while mumbling a bit. "I don't think I'd make it without him." His brow creased in confusion, not liking how she was talking; all quiet and sad.

"Why's that?" She pulled her legs in, hugging her knees while looking into the fire.

"Being alone frightens me. I don't think I could bare it," she said softly, her eyes glancing down at her own feet. She tugged at her dress, the fabric shifting around as she pulled it. "It's bad enough when he goes on his little excursions. I just bury myself in my work to try and cope."

"Sounds like you're never happy." At this she looked up, her honey eyes finding him looking at her longingly. His stare had her blushing and turning away, the seriousness of his expression taking her off guard. Her eyes landed on the fire again as her hand moved to push her bangs aside. She was still a bit shaky from everything going on, this only adding to it.

"W-what about you, Mr. Redfox? A-any family? Someone waiting?" A broad hand came into her view, lightly grabbing her chin and turning her back towards him. He leaned in, his red eyes burning into her.

"How many times do I say to tell you," he whispered, "it's Gajeel." Her face felt as though it was going to melt, blood rushing to her cheeks as her heart pumped loudly in her chest. He was so close to her, his breath mingling with hers as he stared into her eyes. "No."

"N-No?"

"There is no one for me," he said pulling back slowly, "Family or otherwise." Letting his hand trail down a bit, he touched her slight curl of her bangs before pulling back. His gaze moved to the fire, his hand reaching for the nearby stick they had to poke the embers. "I guess I'm immune to the fear you get." She tilted her head as she watched him.

"You… are alone?" He let out a sigh, letting a moment of silence go between them as he thought about her question.

"Well, I was in the Legion but they're all dead now." He picked up the stick, pointing out towards the other men on the other side of the camp, "Except for that little piece of shit right there. But he's dead to me anyhow." Her eyes squinted to see who he was talking about, finding Zoldeo pacing nervously by himself.

"Him?"

"Sadly. He was in there with me but he abandoned me last I was here. So yeah, dead to me. Have half a mind to shoot him right now," he muttered, pulling out his pistol and spinning the chamber. Levy reflexively reached over him, her hand coming over his to stop him from doing anything. This action caused her whole body to squish up against him, being too small to reach without doing so. She felt him freeze at her touch, his wide eyes staring into hers.

"I… I just… there's no need for that… He'll get what's coming one day. I'm sure," she whispered, given she was right in his face.

"I.. uh… I wasn't really going to…" he said slowly, feeling his face heat up at her being _right there_.

"Oh…" she breathed out, moving back and resumed staring into the fire. "Well, now I feel foolish." He watched her a moment, his arms hanging off his thighs with the revolver still in his right hand. Inhaling deeply, he put the pistol away, running a hand through his hair.

"Nah, I guess I can make people a little jumpy. My temper isn't the best. I'm aware of that," he said, staring off to the side. A small giggle had his gaze coming back, finding her looking at him with her hand over her mouth to stifle her laugh.

"Oh? So you _know_ you tend to fly off the handle then?" A fanged grin appeared on his face, leaning towards her a bit.

"Well, I'm a man. That shit happens," he replied, enjoying her laugh to that. She pulled her bangs back behind her ear, her eyes giving him a quick once over before meeting his gaze.

"I'm very well aware you are a man, Gajeel." One of his eyes squinted in an evil look as his grin spread wider, leaning in further. She let out a gasp, her bangs falling back into her eyes.

"Is that right? What gave it away?" At this he saw her eyes widen a bit as she blushed, her gaze darting away. "Gihee, something wrong?" She looked at him a moment before turning away again, clearly flustered. "Well?"

"I-I mean.. well… j-just what is it you're trying to m-make me say?

"Hmm," he pondered for a split second, causing her to jump as he got in her face, "that I'm hot and you want me." He didn't think it was possible for her eyes to get any wider than they were right at that moment, her entire face turning red to where she was certain steam was going to billow out of her ears. He watched as she bit her lip, her eyes peeking at his lips for two seconds. He was thoroughly enjoying the different emotions crossing her face as she attempted to think things through. "Levy…" he whispered, leaning in. He cupped her face as he gently kissed her, hearing her let out a small whimper. Pulling back, he chuckled at the dazed look she gave him, making him want to kiss her more.

"Why…" Her chest heaved slightly, the excitement getting to her, "did you kiss me?" He leaned in, remembering the last time they were in this sort of situation on the boat.

"Because I wanted to," he purred, touching her bangs. A loud grumble from Loke broke their trance, the sounds of the fire crackling and the other men in the distance reminding them they were not alone. Levy took the chance to stare into the flames, her arms wrapping around her legs again as she felt more than just the campfire's heat across her body. After watching her a moment, Gajeel leaned over and grabbed his shotgun, checking it before climbing to his feet. "Well, you should get some sleep. We're getting out of here tomorrow. I'm gonna talk to those fools over there about keeping watch." She cautiously glanced up at him, her eyes darting back to the fire quickly upon stealing a look. "I'll be back."

"A-alright. Please be careful," she whispered, moving her bangs out of her face. Her gaze flickered between the flames and his back, her hand subconsciously grasping at tiny pebbles broken off the stone she was sitting on to toss into the fire.

* * *

 **Looking forward to hearing from you.**

 **Fan art of this? Be sure to check DeviantART, P atreon, and Tumblr under my same name for them :D**

 **And hey, I will love you forever if you wanna add your own fan art 3**


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